MayDay

Hoo boy, what a week it's been... as many of you know, there's a show called 'Hot In Cleveland' on the TV Land channel. As some of you know, one of my photos of the downtown Cleveland skyline is used as the opening graphic. Through a fortunate turn of events, one of the producers found the image on clevelandskyscrapers.com, expressed interest in using it - I signed off on a contract, and sure enough - that's the photo they went with. From my understanding, the show has had 50 million viewers in over 170 countries. As someone from a working class background from the foothills of Appalachia, back in the day, if someone had told me I'd have anything to do with something like this, I never would have believed it. Fast forward to this week - the cast of 'Hot in Cleveland': Betty White, Valerie Bertinelli, Wendie Malick, and Jane Leeves came to Cleveland for the season premiere, including a VIP party at the Rock Hall and a public presentation at Tower City Center. A good friend helped coordinate all the events, and because of that I was able to meet the cast, etc. If you aren't familiar with 'Hot in Cleveland', here you go: http://www.tvland.com/shows/hot-in-cleveland I apologize for the occasional obnoxious watermarks and that the photos are much smaller than usual, but I hope you understand: At the Rock Hall with the photo that started it all - taken on a lunch break back in the day: Gotta love the U2 discoball car: The red carpet is all ready: Oh alright, what's a photo thread from me if it doesn't have a shot of downtown? Darlene Love, a recent Rock Hall inductee, arrives for the VIP party: My first glimpse of the gals - the little tuft of white is Betty! :-) Let's just say this was my first experience taking photos of celebrities - and seeing how bombarded they get by paparazzi/TV crews. They took it all in stride, but I was thinking about how ticked I get at the crowds at the West Side Market - ah well, Jane Leeves was having a good time: It was just nuts: At this point, I thought there's no way I'd get a shot of any of them. But then I remembered when I was standing inside by the revolving door - it was a straight shot down the red carpet and I got a sighting of Betty :-) She stopped to chat with Chris Van Vliet from Channel 19 (personally I only speak with Ramona or Wilma, but that's just me ;-) ) The back of Jane's head, Valerie and Wendie: I don't think I'm god's gift to photography, but I was pretty happy to get this shot: Valerie trying to make it to the door: I think this shot does a good job summing up how the cast felt. From chatting with them, they were expecting a good turnout of fans - they were NOT expecting crowds screaming, etc. They were honestly overwhelmed but at the same time, grateful for the turnout. Jane was so cute when she got to the revolving door, she pushed it to the left (aka British driving). SO wish this shot would have turned out better but ah well - I adore Wendie Malick, loved her as Nina Van Horn in 'Just Shoot Me' and just wow... she's right there: Once inside and after a brief presentation, they showed the new episode of the show: After that, there was a reception on the lower level of the Rock Hall - rather surreal to be gnoshing next to Janis Joplin's Porsche, Jane Wiedlin's guitar, and a few feet away - the cast of the show. I didn't get photos with Betty or Valerie (though we did get to meet), but my partner and I got photos with Jane Leeves and Wendie Malick, both are gorgeous and about as down to earth as it gets. I guess I didn't know what to expect, but it was a pleasant surprise: The next day was a public presentation at Tower City Center. Among the first dignitaries to arrive was Mayor Frank Jackson: Another "wish it was better" shot, but again - never would have imagined I'd have the opportunity for this in the first place: Jane and Wendie: Crowd estimate was about 3,000 people - I'd believe it. Not all the shots I took came out great, but gotta say I like this: Larry Jones - President of TV Land, accepts a proclamation from Mayor Jackson. Larry's another Ohio connection, btw. The cast: After the event, I got to spend a little more time with the cast (I can't and won't go into details), they were kind enough to sign my photo:

The VIP party was great - almost as great as having lunch with the gals after the event in Tower City ;-)

Had the wonderful opportunity to hang out with the cast of 'Hot in Cleveland'. I didn't get to really meet Betty White but it's all good - Wendie Malick "LOVES" my photo! :-D Me, Wendie, and my partner: Us with Jane Leeves:

Oh I know - can you believe those ladies defaced one of his printed photos?!?!?!? ;-) Yeah - OH. MY. GOD. Wendie Malick LOVES my photo!!! SQUEAL!!!!

^Good job!

Just glancing at wikipedia entries: Maricopa County (Phoenix): 14 cities, 12 towns, in 9,224 sq. miles Mecklenborg County (Charlotte): 7 cities and towns in 546 sq. miles Dallas County (Dallas): 32 cities and towns in 908 sq. miles Fulton County (Atlanta): 14 cities and towns in 534 sq. miles So, yeah - 59 fiefdoms in 1,246 sq. miles - there *might* be a little redundancy.

Mmm... apple butterrrrr... Nice shots; looks like a nicely kept town - and that chapel's pretty snazzy in a funky way.

Governor praises casino agreement with Rock Ohio Caesars Posted: 06/13/2011 Last Updated: 25 minutes ago By: John Kosich CLEVELAND - Ohio Governor John Kasich ® Monday praised the weekend agreement with Dan Gilbert's Rock Ohio Caesars, the developer of two of the state’s four casinos under construction in Cleveland and Cincinnati, over additional casino taxes and fees. “I believe that the agreement we have with Rock will benefit the citizens of the State of Ohio,” said Kasich. “I'm also pleased that Rock's going to be able to get about their business, we want them to be successful and yes I'm very satisfied with where we are." The move clears the way for work to resume on the nearly $400 million Phase I Horseshoe Casino Cleveland. More at http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/cleveland_metro/governor-praises-casino-agreement-with-rock-ohio-caesars Now that this thread is being reopened - anyone posting off-topic, posting inflammatory or insulting comments gets an immediate two week suspension.

"Stop being disengenuous and provoking." Stop having a condescending and abrasive tone. That's what keeps getting this thread locked, most of the time.

'Hot in Cleveland' stars to get key to the city Published: Monday, June 13, 2011, 1:23 PM, Updated: Monday, June 13, 2011, 3:20 PM By Mark Dawidziak, The Plain Dealer "Hot in Cleveland" stars Wendie Malick, Betty White, Valerie Bertinelli and Jane Leeves will receive the key to the city from Mayor Frank Jackson during a Thursday ceremony at Tower City. It's official, or, at least, it soon will be. The city of Cleveland has taken the TV Land sitcom "Hot in Cleveland'' to its heart. The cable series gets the ultimate ceremonial stamp of approval Thursday when stars Valerie Bertinelli, Wendie Malick, Jane Leeves and Betty White receive the key to the city from Mayor Frank G. Jackson. Open to the public, this warm embrace of "Hot in Cleveland" starts at 11:45 a.m. at the grand staircase of Tower City Center ... The evening before the Tower City ceremony, the four "Hot in Cleveland" stars will attend an invitation-only event at the Rock and Roll of Fame and Museum. The 6-10 p.m. V.I.P. party is being sponsored by Forest City Enterprises, Positively Cleveland, TV Land, Huntington Bank, Tower City, Global Cleveland, Aquage and the Rock Hall. More at http://www.cleveland.com/tv-blog/index.ssf/2011/06/hot_in_cleveland_stars_to_get_keys_to_the_city.html

I was having second thoughts about going on the GIFT (Gay Invitational Fellowship Tournament, a gay bowling league) Cruise due to the weather, but it turned out to be a relatively nice night. A little hazy, so I apologize for some of the fuzzier shots. Anyway, some music by Julee Cruise for the cruise: http://youtu.be/P557FDT1t4s Scroll ----> I'll add captions later, hope you enjoyed!

Enough with the baiting.

Nice shots - great to see so much progress with MOCA's new building.

"The Cleveland Restoration Society ... with the great organiziation and ourpouring of support over this, they would like to coordinate and strategize better going forward etc..... I have to say that I've not been impressed in the past with their advocacy efforts ... and especially their outreach efforts toward the younger crowd, but this is so wonderful to hear, and I'm loving the dialogue on the Facebook "Save Lower Prospect" page. Which leads me to: "talking to the other kids after the meeting, I'm definitely not the only one who feels alienated by the city right now." I feel your pain - believe me, I do - I've lived here since before Facebook and UrbanOhio.com existed. You have an opportunity to use those tools to organize others and "be the change you want to see". I'm certainly not in agreement with the decision to demolish the Columbia, but I'm more than pleasantly surprised to see just how many people have come out and expressed their support.

From flatseast.com http://www.flatseast.com/documents/press-releases/flats-east-bank-project-gets-rolling.pdf Sounds like they have about a month and a half of pouring the foundation - and after that I imagine we'd be seeing construction cranes :-)

No, that was formerly Flex, a bathhouse. The Grid was located next door, where the Map Room is.

^My guess is either Barn Court or East 12th place. The tile work matches the Halle Building and its garage.

I think this part of rider's post *clearly* states that they are not taking credit for the photos: "From the Columbus Construction Update - Spring 2011 at Columbus Underground:" That said, if that's not satisfactory, the photos can be removed. And no, UrbanOhio is not a site that supports stealing others' work.

Yes folks, we have officially progressed beyond the "moving dirt around" stage!!! :clap: :drunk: :clap:

If you ever delay posting a great photo thread like this again, I might have to delete your account ;-) Just kidding - great pics, thank you for sharing them with us!

^Looks like they're also swapping out the building's lighting system. Last night I think they were doing a test run; the lower section had no lights on (not sure if that's permanent) but the upper setbacks were cycling through green, purple, etc. and at one point they had *every* color of the rainbow (I was joking it was a pre-ceremonial honor for the Gay Games :-D )

I had never heard of this until a friend mentioned it on Facebook. I'm sorry - you people are looking forward to subjecting yourselves to this!?!?!

"Froyo is all the rage, and for good reason. I can't believe there's not more of these places around Cleveland." Am I missing something or are these somehow a world's difference from places like TCBY?

Hoo boy, where do I start ... yeah, I'm gonna ramble so bear with me, it'll help me make my point. :-) Most people seem to think I'm a native Clevelander - I'm not; I grew up about 70 miles southeast of Cleveland - although we occasionally made a trip to Cleveland, I don't have memories of (or nostalgia for) the malts at Higbees, etc. I know 70 miles isn't that much, but speaking to native Clevelanders, there's a difference. Part of me is glad for that because I don't have the poisonous negativity that so many natives do. When I travel, I say I'm from Cleveland. When I'm out and about in Cleveland and someone asks, I say I'm originally from south of Youngstown. Speaking of, that was the closest city for us, which - while I couldn't live there for several reasons, my family is near there and I'm still very fond of certain parts: Fellows Riverside Gardens, the Butler Institute of Art, and if I ever find it I'll post the first photo I ever took of a skyscraper - the First National Tower. I'm not sure how/why, but I always had an interest in architecture - my math skills weren't up to snuff to actually go into the field, but it always interested me. Now to Cleveland - at age 6 when I accompanied my parents on a trip, my first memory of Cleveland was coming across the Valley View bridge and looking north (I photoshopped this to show the approximate view in 1978): To a kid from a humble working class background in the foothills of Appalachia whose "biggest" city experience was Youngstown, Cleveland might as well have been the Emerald City. Yes, in 1978, one of the worst in the city's history. The next time I visited Cleveland was during a traveling church choir tour (don't ask!) in 1990 - our hosts gave us a tour of downtown, including Key Tower (half-way built at the time), the newly opened Tower City and Galleria, etc. I ended up going to Kent State, and afterward I began my career in graphic design - I was living in Hudson and split my time hanging out in Akron and Cleveland. Eventually a friend from Kent State got me hooked up with a job with an agency in downtown Cleveland in 1998. That's also the year I made my first trip to Great Lakes Brewing Company - and discovered my favorite (and still is to this day) is Burning River Pale Ale and the kick@ss photo of the skyline on the label nailed it :-) Anyway, it didn't take long for me to realize that commuting from Hudson to downtown would eventually result in me being brought up on vehicular manslaughter charges (you would think people who spend that much time commuting would be better drivers!). So I moved to Cleveland; that whole architectural interest started to manifest itself - on my lunch breaks I would go out, take photos of buildings, just because. In the late 90s, Al Gore invented the internet ;-) and so I was poking around, and found some sites about architecture in NYC, Chicago but nothing really for Cleveland. So I decided, what the heck, I'll just put something together with my photos and a little information. When I started, my site had 5 buildings and was hosted on a GeoCities server. Eventually, it snowballed into what is now clevelandskyscrapers.com (yes, I fully admit it needs major updating!!). In 2002, I got an email from publishers at Arcadia Publishing, asking if I'd be interested in writing a book - it never crossed my mind to do something like that but why not? So in 2003 and after lots and lots of work, I became a published author and about 5,000 copies later ... well, I have something to discuss at cocktail parties but not a reason to quit my day job. Btw, to anyone who has purchased a copy - thank you. So the book was pretty damn cool, I mean - I have friends who are trying to get published, and my opportunity came to me without me going after it. Then in 2010, I got an email from someone saying "we're producing a sitcom and we'd like to use one of your photos" - although I'm not a negative native, I've lived in Cleveland long enough to be initially skeptical of pretty much anything. Imagine my surprise when a contract arrived in the mail - the arrangements were agreeable and I figured what the heck, give it a shot. Up until the show premiered, my skyline photo never appeared in ads, etc. so I figured they went with an alternative. So *really* imagine my surprise when I was watching the premiere of 'Hot in Cleveland' and my photo was (and is) the opening graphic. Yes, I squealed like a girl. If media reports are correct, 'Hot in Cleveland' has had about 50 million viewers around the globe. Again, I'm a bumpkin from the foothills of Appalachia who likes to take photos of Cleveland- and 50 million people around the world have seen my work on the most-watched cable sitcom in history. If that's not humbling, I don't know what is. So with that... I've always tried to have a "make the best of it" outlook on life, no matter where life puts me - not a pollyanna approach, mind you - just that life's too short to remain in any situation or city where you're miserable. I've never had any bitter resentment about how Cleveland is, but I've had frustrations. I know Cleveland has a lot of problems that desperately need fixed and I try to do my part - but I don't take a "WE (as Clevelanders) need to _______". I didn't grow up here, I didn't vote people into office in the 80s-90s whose policies still affect the city, I don't get into self-flagellation over things I that I have little to no control over. I know it's not the case for a lot of people, but Cleveland's been very good to me - I met the love of my life (who is a native), I've had a modestly successful career as a graphic designer for 18 years, and as you can see from above - I've had some amazing experiences that are as Cleveland as it gets. I've been able to have a modestly comfortable middle class lifestyle - when I was single, I didn't have to have a roommate to be able to make the rent and I could afford an apartment in a desirable area. I love what I do for a living, but it wouldn't be able to pay for a desirable place with a short commute to the CBD in a lot of other markets, and I have to wonder - if I lived in say, NYC - would I have had a book deal? Would I have had my photo get "discovered"? I really don't know. I suppose if anything, I grew into loving this city - even with its flaws. Could I or would I move somewhere else? I dunno - it would definitely have to be a really compelling argument.

The personal insults in this thread will stop - otherwise, forumers will find their accounts suspended.